Rental scams targeting Erasmus students: warning signs and how to avoid them
The recurring patterns behind rental fraud aimed at students renting from abroad, how to verify a listing and a landlord, and what to do before sending money.
An Erasmus student is an ideal target for rental fraud: renting sight unseen, unfamiliar with the city, often without the local language, under time pressure, and required to produce an address before term starts. Scammers use all four pressures together.
The good news is that the patterns barely change. If two of the signs below appear together, the listing is very probably fake.
Warning signs
The price is clearly below market. This is the strongest signal. There is no €350 single room in central Amsterdam. You cannot judge a listing without knowing the city's real range — so learning that range is the first job.
The landlord is "abroad" and cannot show the flat. The classic story: away for work, will post the keys, needs the deposit first. A real landlord shows the property, either personally or through someone.
They refuse a video call. If you cannot visit, insist on a live walkthrough. Excuses at this stage are the end of the conversation.
They want to move off the platform. "Let's do it on WhatsApp and skip the fee" exists to disable payment protection. Stay in the platform's messaging.
Payment methods that cannot be reversed. Western Union, crypto, gift cards, or a transfer to a private account you cannot verify. None of these have a recovery route.
Manufactured urgency. "Three others are waiting, send the deposit today." Legitimate landlords move fast too, but they do not stop you verifying information.
The listing text appears elsewhere. Search one sentence in quotes. If the same text shows up in other cities, it has been copied.
Photos look too professional and inconsistent. Run a reverse image search; they may be lifted from an estate agent or a hotel page.
Before you send any money
- Compare the price with the market. Ask in that city's room; students already there know the real range. Find your city on the rooms page.
- Ask for a live video tour. Have the landlord walk through the flat and ask for something spontaneous ("can you show me out of the window?"). A pre-recorded video cannot satisfy that.
- Ask for ID and proof of ownership. Asking is normal, not rude. A refusal has a reason behind it.
- Verify the address on a map. Does the building exist in street view, and does it match the photos?
- Read the contract. Rent, deposit, who pays bills, exit conditions and notice period must all be written down. Never pay without a contract.
- Use a payment-protected route. Student-focused platforms hold the money until you are in the property. A commission is cheaper than losing the whole deposit.
An extra check in countries with mandatory registration
In the Netherlands and Germany, address registration (inschrijving / Anmeldung) is compulsory and needs a document from the landlord — a rental contract or landlord permission in the Netherlands, a *Wohnungsgeberbestätigung* in Germany.
This is a strong filter in its own right: if the landlord refuses to provide it, either the rental is off the books or the property does not exist. Get written confirmation that they will supply it before you sign. Details are in the Netherlands and Germany guides.
If you realise you have been scammed
- Call your bank immediately. If the transfer has not settled there may be a chance to stop it.
- If you paid through a platform, open its dispute process the same day.
- Report it to the local police — official records are needed for insurance or refund processes.
- Tell your university's international office. Most have emergency accommodation and a list of known fake listings in that city.
In short
Do not send money without concrete evidence of the property, the person and the contract. Every offer that rushes you is rushing you precisely to prevent that verification.
The quickest way to learn real prices and known problem listings in your city is to ask students who are already there.